Chapter Eighty-Three: Pramanix and Cliffheart: Should Our Brother Find Us a Sister-in-Law? / Chapter Eighty-Four: Pramanix: I Don't Want a Brother Who Smokes and Drinks

An aged man with sparse, graying hair and a plump, deeply wrinkled face sat there, a cigar in hand and pajamas on his body, paying no attention whatsoever to his appearance.

Who would have thought that this actor was Silver Ash, the president known as Siracusa's most handsome man? The person sprawled on the bed was clearly a slovenly, thoroughly unlikeable old man!

"—Pfft."

Yet the tremendous contrast made Ennya, who had prepared herself to see her brother's face, laugh almost instinctively. Afterward, she inexplicably felt a little embarrassed.

Brother... this appearance of yours has absolutely nothing to do with being a president or handsome. Are you really here to play an emperor?

If this scene were broadcast and the people of Siracusa saw that the dignified head of the Shiwaish Family and president of Karlan Trade looked like that...

"Ah... honestly... how embarrassing. I really don't want people knowing that such a person is my brother."

Ennya murmured this while suppressing her laughter. Yet somehow, seeing her older brother make such a fool of himself made the resentment in her heart—which had initially come with her intending only to wear a sour expression—seem to dissipate just a little.

First Snow and Cliffheart: Shouldn't Our Brother Find Us a Sister-in-Law?

"To General Ismay, given the current situation, the timing has taken shape..."

"It's ripened! Not taken shape! What are you doing, young lady?!"

However, just as Ennya and Enshia had been secretly delighted at the thought that their brother would be playing a mighty emperor, they discovered that the image he was portraying had nothing whatsoever to do with either "mighty" or "emperor." He was merely a dreadful old man. What happened next made them doubt even more.

Vina's secretary made a few minor mistakes on her first day at work, though most of them were simply because it was her first time dealing with Silver Ash's character.

But those small mistakes sent Silver Ash into a furious rage. His face, made somewhat plump and aged by Rob Rata's practically godlike makeup skills, contained none of the kindness or tolerance one might expect from an old man. It was filled only with harshness.

"Single spacing! You used single spacing!" Silver Ash shouted, waving the paper he had torn from the typewriter in his hand, utterly unconcerned that he was about to scare a young girl into tears.

"Did no one tell you, young lady? Single spacing?!"

"Th-this is set to single spacing, I..."

"Then why don't you hurry up and change it?!" Silver Ash gave Vina's character no chance to explain. His furious appearance was exactly that of an unreasonable, sharp-tongued, hot-tempered aristocratic master.

It could even be said that anyone meeting him for the first time would think the old man was crazy. Not only was he slovenly and utterly devoid of aristocratic bearing, there was even less to say about him looking like an emperor.

"...Is that really our brother?"

Enshia stared at Silver Ash on the screen, who had already scolded Vina away. Her mouth hung slightly open as she simply could not imagine that this person was truly being played by her brother.

There was not even a trace of their brother in him! Ennya and Enshia had vastly different feelings and experiences regarding Silver Ash as their brother, but both of them understood very well what kind of person he usually was.

It could be said that Silver Ash in private life, whether during his student days or as president of Karlan Trade, had always been a perfect and meticulous person.

Even in pajamas at home, he could make them look like a suit. His back was always straight, and he had no bad habits. He did not drink excessively, did not smoke, and had never shown much interest in women, devoting himself entirely to his work.

That had made him neglect spending time with his family to some degree. Perhaps the shadow of their parents' early deaths still affected him even now. But both sisters knew that aside from that, their brother would never make a fool of himself, nor would he ever lose his temper for no reason.

But what were they seeing now? A rotten old man they would never have recognized as their brother if FrostNova had not pointed him out beforehand? He had a terrible temper, smoked cigars and drank whiskey as soon as he woke up—did he have even the slightest connection to their brother?

"Probably?" Ennya could not quite make sense of it either. Yet as she watched Silver Ash in the filming footage, she could not help but feel... as though she were seeing her brother in the future.

It was a strange feeling, but Ennya felt that if one day her brother were crushed by pressure, he might still be able to endure the burdens of being family head and president. But if, in the future, he ruled Siracusa in his own way, what would he become?

Perhaps... this was what he would become? Ennya imagined such a scene. If her brother were crushed by pressure and had no choice but to repeatedly seek other means of relief, then smoking cigars, drinking whiskey, and becoming hot-tempered would not be impossible to understand.

After all, everyone in Siracusa—the other two families and Manjuin alike—could see the urgency her brother felt toward reforming Siracusa.

They could even see that her brother's desire to take control of Siracusa was growing stronger and stronger. He seemed to have no intention of concealing his ambitions, yet he always found ways to win the support of the closed-off and conservative Siracusans through benefits or promises to be fulfilled in the future.

And if that was the future... perhaps her seemingly perfect brother would, under ever-growing pressure, become... like this in his old age?

"...Sooner or later, he'll become like this. Once overwhelming pressure crushes him one day, he may turn into such a dreadful old man."

"No! I don't want our brother to become like that!"

Ennya's murmur startled Enshia badly. Before Enshia could imagine such a future, someone suddenly entered the frame. When the camera turned toward the newcomer, the two girls saw an elderly but exceptionally elegant woman with white hair slowly approach Silver Ash.

"Darling?" The white-haired woman's first word made Ennya and Enshia freeze slightly, but they quickly understood.

"Is she playing our brother's wife in the movie?" Enshia guessed, and Ennya nodded in reply.

"It seems so... She's made up to look old, but she's a very elegant woman."

However, hearing the sisters' words, Chen Qi, Nian, and Talulah, who were supervising the filming ahead of them, all trembled slightly as they struggled to suppress their laughter. Still, they did not let it distract them enough to answer the two girls' question.

But they really wanted to tell them—the elegant white-haired woman they were talking about was actually Warfarin!

In the filming, Warfarin entered the room as well. Just as Kal'tsit had said, Warfarin was quite reliable whenever she was serious. For example, now that she had entered her acting state, there was truly nothing to criticize about her performance.

"Darling, may I talk to you? I think you really need to listen."

At that moment, Silver Ash was kneeling alone on the floor, constantly poking his head beneath the bed in an attempt to coax out a Feline Fangbeast that had crawled underneath.

But after Warfarin entered, Silver Ash, who had been raging at the new secretary only a minute ago, immediately became obedient. Without saying a word, he shuffled over and sat on the bed.

Once Silver Ash had settled down, Warfarin continued to maintain her elegant demeanor without breaking character in the slightest. In a completely serious manner, she criticized Silver Ash... no, rather, she gently reasoned with him.

"I've noticed that your temper has worsened recently. You used to be very friendly, but now you've become irritable."

"Harsh, domineering, and rude."

"...Is it because of that young lady?" Silver Ash immediately guessed what had prompted his "wife" to come specifically and say these things. But this time, facing his wife, his tone was undoubtedly much gentler.

Yet Warfarin tactfully avoided taking up that topic, because doing so would make the young girl a target of resentment. She merely continued.

"If His Majesty truly abdicates and makes you the new emperor."

"That remains to be seen."

"—I don't want people to hate you." As Silver Ash spoke, Warfarin interrupted him gently. Silver Ash instantly lost his temper and replied meekly.

"I think quite a few people already hate me..."

"Oh, darling, you are about to hold great power, above tens of thousands, with no one ranked higher than you. With power in your hands, you should work even harder to show your kind side."

"—And preferably keep your composure. I hope others can admire and respect you as I do."

Warfarin spoke to Silver Ash as though a teacher were teaching a kindergarten child to get along with others. Before this, Ennya and Enshia had never seen anyone speak to their brother like that.

And their brother... looked utterly submissive, like a Feline Fangbeast. He did not even seem to have the slightest intention of arguing back.

This scene gave the sisters a strange idea... They exchanged glances, each seeing the other's thoughts in her eyes.

Enshia: "Sis, sis, I remember it's not uncommon for people to fall in love through acting together, right?"

Ennya: "That does happen... Once this scene is over, should we ask for that actress's contact information?"

Very quickly, from the simple interaction between Silver Ash and Warfarin, the sisters developed the idea of finding their brother a wife. After all, although it was acting, people truly did fall in love through acting together. Even Ennya and Enshia, isolated in Siracusa as they were, had heard such gossip due to their natural curiosity.

Fortunately, Chen Qi had no way of hearing the girls' telepathic exchange. Otherwise, he might truly have burst into laughter at once—these two girls who had no idea what was going on. If they chose such a sister-in-law for their brother, never mind their brother's reaction; the future alone would be enough to make the two of them suffer.

"Cut! This scene is done! Mr. Silver Ash, Miss Warfarin, you both did very well!"

"By the way, Mr. Silver Ash, your sisters are waiting for you in the screening room. Please come over as soon as possible if it's convenient."

Chen Qi immediately relayed Ennya and Enshia's arrival to Silver Ash through the speaker. The very moment his words ended, rapid footsteps sounded, and the screening room door was abruptly pushed open by Silver Ash.

"Ennya, Enshia, you—"

Upon seeing his two sisters there, Silver Ash almost instinctively wanted to step forward and embrace them. But just as he took one step, both sisters' expressions changed in unison, and they immediately stepped back.

"Wait—Brother, could you take off the makeup before coming over?!" Enshia said awkwardly, looking at Silver Ash, whose eyes had widened.

"I really don't want to hug such an old brother! I keep feeling like you smell like an old man..."

"...I agree with Enshia." Ennya was equally merciless. Though no one else was watching now, she still harbored resentment toward her brother, so she absolutely would not call him "Brother."

However, she no longer insisted that Silver Ash address her as "Lady Saint."

Seeing both sisters react this way, Silver Ash looked somewhat awkward. He straightened his back, returning to his imposing height of one meter ninety, then faced his sisters' disdain and could only force himself to speak calmly.

"...I understand."

"Huh?! Mr. Silver Ash! Your sisters came too? Where are they, where are they?"

A cheerful voice suddenly rang out, and the screening room door opened once more. Warfarin, who had already removed her makeup in one sweep and still had droplets of water on her face, walked in without the slightest concern for her appearance.

Warfarin quickly fixed her gaze on the still-stunned Ennya and Enshia. Her eyes lit up as she approached them with a smile.

"You're President Silver Ash's sisters? Kal'tsit told me before that one of you is planning to come to Rhodes Island for treatment, right?"

"When you come to Rhodes Island, remember to find me for a checkup! I only need a tiny bit of blood to test your infection level!"

"You are..."

"Oh! I'm Warfarin! A doctor at Rhodes Island, though I'm temporarily here to act! You should have seen me on camera just now, right?"

Warfarin's incredibly familiar routine made Ennya and Enshia both freeze. At that moment, the two girls noticed that Warfarin had not changed her clothes. They were clearly the same clothes worn by the "wife" they had seen before.

And... she had the same white hair and the same height. It was just that she seemed to have removed her contact lenses, revealing the blood-red eyes of a blood demon.

Of course, there was also the way all elegance vanished from her tone the moment she opened her mouth. In an instant, the ideas that had arisen in the two girls' minds completely shattered.

Unfortunately, Warfarin, who was currently boasting about her blood-appraisal abilities, had no idea that she had instantly lost her chance of becoming the wife of Karlan Trade's president. Nor did she know what she might think if she ever learned of it.

First Snow: I Don't Want a Brother Who Smokes and Drinks Excessively

This visit from his two sisters was also encouraging for Silver Ash. After arranging Enshia's treatment process at Rhodes Island, Silver Ash began purchasing a large number of televisions from Kazimierz, intending to send them all to Siracusa together with the ones Ennya had purchased in Manjuin's name.

"Could it be that Mr. Enciodes wishes to curry favor with Manjuin?" After Silver Ash paid for even the televisions Manjuin intended to purchase, Ennya spoke to him in an exceptionally indifferent tone.

"If that is the case, then you may be disappointed. Manjuin will not accept your bribe, nor will we thank you because of it. As the Saint, I cannot accept this unwarranted goodwill."

"...You misunderstand, Lady Saint."

Silver Ash had clearly grown accustomed to Ennya's rigid attitude toward him. In the face of his sister's deliberately harsh words, he replied in an orderly manner.

"It is my honor to pay for the blessings that Manjuin and Lady Saint are about to bestow upon the faithful people of Siracusa. It is merely a small gesture of respect from my family and company—respect for Yelagund."

"We are also doing our best to set up a local network. Perhaps testing can begin within half a month. And for the people of Siracusa to see the outside world through televisions now, would that not also be a good thing for Siracusa?"

"...Since Mr. Enciodes is so kind, I shall accept them."

"Also... please do not stand too close to me. You smell of cigars, and I dislike it very much."

"...Yes, Lady Saint."

Ennya could not tell whether she felt sorrow or something else at Silver Ash's respectful manner. She had clearly grown accustomed to this sense of distance. From the day she became the Saint, her relationship with her brother had ended there.

Not far away, Chen Qi and Talulah stood together, watching the awkward way the siblings interacted. Talulah could not help but speak.

"What exactly is going on with these siblings? Why are they so awkward around each other? They remind me of FrostNova and Patriot... but they should be biological siblings, shouldn't they?"

"Well, every family has its own troubles." Knowing why the relationship between Silver Ash and Ennya was so awkward, Chen Qi could not help sighing as he watched the scene.

"After all, Silver Ash is first a family head, then a president, and only after that, an older brother."

"Perhaps the experience of losing his parents early, and of his family being unable to gain a foothold in Siracusa, made him understand too well that if he wanted to protect his family, someone had to shoulder the responsibilities no one else understood."

"Besides, his goal is even greater. He is actually doing something immensely important for Siracusa—what he wants now is to protect Siracusa. Only by protecting Siracusa can he truly have the power to protect his family, I suppose."

Chen Qi understood Silver Ash's anxiety as well. Especially after arriving with the crew, Silver Ash's workload had become absurdly heavy. Aside from acting, he had to negotiate cooperation with several Kazimierz companies as president of Karlan Trade, plan the spread of television dramas throughout Siracusa, and even secretly discuss procurement of supporting equipment for their competitive knights with people from the Commercial Federation...

Silver Ash's anxiety stemmed from the fact that after arriving in Kazimierz and gaining access to better information, he immediately realized that the situation on Terra was changing.

Whether it was Victoria's division or the current offensives against Victoria by Kazimierz, Ursus, and Leithania, everything indicated that the balance of power on Terra would change in the future.

Siracusa might be remote, but it was not particularly far from Victoria! And though Siracusa's environment was harsh, Silver Ash knew very well that beneath its mountains lay enormous mineral resources waiting to be utilized!

Yelagund could protect the faithful of Siracusa. Although the environment was harsh, catastrophes were rare. But did Yelagund still possess divine power? If Siracusa faced the armies of hostile nations in the future, could Yelagund still protect it from harm?

Silver Ash believed in Yelagund. After all, he was a Siracusan. But he preferred to trust his own judgment, to trust that his own strength could change Siracusa's disadvantaged position.

He was even more willing to believe that only real strength in one's hands could truly deter enemies from coveting Siracusa.

That was why Silver Ash was anxious. He wanted Siracusa to survive through this turbulent era, one that was about to undergo enormous change, as much as possible. Yet seeing far ahead did not mean that most Siracusans could see as far as he did.

Just like now, Ennya clearly understood everything her brother was doing, yet there was still a barrier in her heart. She knew his actions were correct and that they had been the only solution at the time... but she simply could not let it go.

"Forget it. Why should we discuss someone else's family affairs? It is enough not to cause them trouble."

Chen Qi patted Talulah on the shoulder. Then, after a moment of silence, he still spoke somewhat helplessly.

"Arrange Silver Ash's upcoming scenes. Give him scenes where he can really show what he can do. I think he wants to show his sisters his handsome side as well."

"I understand." Talulah smiled faintly upon hearing this. She had long understood Chen Qi's nature: whenever something was within his ability, he would certainly help.

And that was what she liked about Chen Qi—the kindness that this land found so difficult to nurture. As long as you stood by his side, you never needed to worry that he would harm you. He simply had no such crooked intentions. Even if you sat beside him holding a huge bag of money, he would never try to reach for it. That was how safe he was.

Meanwhile, Ennya and Silver Ash had finished their conversation. Ennya quickly noticed Chen Qi nearby, and for some reason, after Talulah left, she walked straight toward him.

"Miss Ennya." Facing Ennya, who had suddenly come looking for him, Chen Qi respectfully bowed to the Saint. He could sense a hint of resentment in her eyes, but he did not know why.